Environmental Investigation Agency

What it reported doing in 2024

Eia wildlife and ocean campaigns envisions a world where the world's threatened species, including elephants, rhinos, orangutans, and beluga whales, are protected, recovered, and thriving throughout their natural ranges. Eia relies on the best available scientific, customs, and trade data, and intelligence from investigations, to support policies and actions that protect threatened and endangered species. Eia's wildlife campaign works with partners and allies on the ground to stop the illegal and unsustainable killing of, and trade in, elephants and rhinos, and to protect the arctic home of belugas and other whales and the tropical forest habitat of orangutans.eia's approach to wildlife protection falls under two major work areas:1) protecting terrestrial species from poaching, trafficking, and habitat loss, by upholding international bans on elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn; campaigning for countries and jurisdictions to adopt and implement laws to close down domestic elephant ivory and rhino horn markets. 2) arctic marine species protection by advocating for effective regulatory change to promote recovery for critically endangered cook inlet beluga whales; increased critical habitat protection and anthropogenic threat reduction; and engage governments, industry, and other stakeholders at relevant international decision-making fora to reduce threats to vulnerable marine mammal populations from underwater noise exposure from increased commercial shipping and illegal commercial whaling to achieve the desired impact of ensuring that focal wildlife species are not only protected but thriving. More details about our campaign work at: eia.org/campaigns.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 88.6%; rating input score 89
• Program expense ratio: 90.9%; rating input score 91
• Fundraising efficiency: $57.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Fail
  • Conducts field audits: Fail
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Fail
  • Conducts site visits: Pass
  • Requires grant agreements: Pass
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.4%; rating input score 99; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 2.7%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.74; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.4; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 16%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings